Burano Needle Lace
As the word says, needle lace is made with a needle. Upon a pattern drawn on cardboard thick threads are stretched. Between and over these threads the lace is made by several different stitches. An important stitch in the needle lace is the buttonhole stitch.
The pattern can be hold in the hand and you can work that way. In Burano however the pattern is attached uopon a pillow. This is being done with so much space that a wooden stick can be stuck beneath it. Because of this stick the laceworker can easily sew with the needle around the streched threads to make the stitches around it. The advantage of working with a pillow is that both hands can be used to make the stitch and to tension it correctly.
If you are lucky you find a lace worker working outside her house along the colourful streets of Burano. You can buy this work directly from her as I did with the little butterfly.
